Family Pentatomidae and Family Scutelleridae
rss What are they?
Location: Central North Carolina
May 7, 2012 4:37 pm
I saw these on my porch today. It is May 7th in Central North Carolina.
Signature: Curious
Florida Predatory Stink Bug Nymphs
Dear Curious,
These are immature Florida Predatory Stink Bugs and they are considered beneficial.
LadyBug?!?
Location: Longs, Sc
May 3, 2012 4:29 pm
Could you please identify this bug for me and tell me how i can stop the madness. They swarm all over our house, gutters, siding, outdoor plants, everything…all day long..it has been very warm and sunny here and they have been here for about 2 weeks now but it is becoming increasingly more difficult..we cant even go outside during the day. Please help me identify these bugs and find a solution to get our backyard back.
Signature: Coral’s Mom
Lablab Bug
Dear Coral’s Mom,
When an insect, other animal or plant is accidentally introduced to an area that is not its typical range, it must have certain conditions met to survive. It must have a climate conducive to its survival and it must have a food supply. When that happens it can become naturalized and without natural predators, it might become proliferate to the point it crowds out native species. It is then an invasive exotic species. Many years ago, Kudzu was introduced to the south and it has grown unchecked. More recently, Lablab Bugs, were accidentally introduced to Georgia. The good news is that they eat Kudzu. The bad news is that they will eat other crops and they are multiplying and spreading. You have Lablab Bugs.
Lablab Bugs
Thank you so much for identifying that bug for us. Now, this is probably something I need to call an exterminator about?. They are literally taking over the whole southside of my house and plants and trees. Thanks!
We do not endorse extermination in most situations. We doubt in this case if extermination will eliminate the problem. You need to locate where they are reproducing and remove the food source, probably kudzu.
I have no kudzu around but they are on my wysteria bush. Thanks for your help.
Flying Cockroach Family?
Location: Chon Buri, Thailand
May 4, 2012 3:21 am
Hi there, Teacher Becky here again reporting from our First Grade classroom in Chon Buri, Thailand.
This guy was found today squirming on his back when the rain started. He flies. We caught him for observation. His underside is more interesting than his top side.
Signature: Teacher Becky
Litchi Stink Bug
Dear Teacher Becky,
This sure looks to us like a Litchi Stink Bug, Tessaratoma papillosa, or a closely related Giant Stink Bug or Giant Shield Bug in the family Tessaratomidae. You can read more about the Litchi Stink Bug on the PlantWise website.
lablab bug
Location: Brunswick County, NC
April 17, 2012 2:32 pm
I am a pest control business owner. This is not a question but to help you follow this insect. I found numerous lablab bugs laying eggs on the window of a trailer in the country in North Carolina just 10 miles north of the NC/SC state line near the coast. P.S. I don’t have a pic so I sent you a random one so I could email this.
Signature: Robert J. Russ
Lablab Bugs (photo from our archive)
Dear Robert,
Thank you for helping to explain how the invasive exotic Lablab Bugs may be expanding their range. We found a photo from our archives to accompany your submission.
Odd Bug ”Infestation”
Location: Lawrenceville Georgia
April 8, 2012 5:27 pm
A couple of years ago I noticed this bug showing up in Spring by the swarms. They are currently taking up residence in one of my maples. They show up Middle of March and I’m not sure when they leave. They are about 1/4” – square shaped and dark green mottled tops and a creamy to brown underneath. They live in large colonies. At first they pretty much swarm all over the house and deck (much like the ladybugs do during their migration) but then they settle in on this maple tree. They are all over the branches – but tend to horde around the new growth tips.
I can’t see any aphids or other bugs they would be feeding on – and I can’t see that they are making any nests or webs – but several of the new leaves on these branches are dying. I’m not sure if the death and the bugs are related but wanted to find out.
Any help identifying these guys is much appreciated.
Signature: TJ
Lablab Bugs
Dear TJ,
You are being troubled by Lablab Bugs, Megacopta cribraria, an invasive species accidentally introduced from China several years ago that is spreading through the South. They are also known as Bean Plataspids or Kudzu Bugs, and they are known to feed on the invasive Kudzu plant, which is a good thing, however, they can also become a pest on certain legume crops. According to BugGuide: “Found in the US on kudzu; known hosts include legume crops, especially soybeans.” BugGuide also states: “may invade homes in large numbers; may become a household pest. There are seriously mixed emotions about this highly invasive species: on the one hand, it seems to prefer kudzu, itself a highly invasive and damaging species, but it also has the potential to be a very serious pest of several important leguminous crops- not to mention its bad habit of invading homes in search of winter shelter.” BugGuide makes no mention of them feeding on maple, but the new leaf die-off you describe is consistent with the damage caused by plant feeding insects in the order Hemiptera that have piercing and sucking mouthparts and that feed on the fluids of plants.
Swarm of Beetles.. maybe????
Location: San Antonio Texas
April 3, 2012 2:22 pm
I opened my door Sunday morning to find 100’s of these beetle like bugs crawling out of my grass onto my sidewalk and patio. They seemed to all be heading toward the shade. I was leaving to go buy bug spray when as I backed my car out of my driveway, I found that where the car had provided shade, was covered with these bugs. They were.. at the largest size, half the size of your pinky finger nail. I noticed the black and red spot so at first I thought a lady bug, but these seem to have antennas. I removed some grassy area from my yard and found them all over the dirt area and found an spot that they were climbing out of the dirt. I dont mean one or two, just hundreds of them. What are these and are they harmful to my yard? Will they fly away or do I need to exterminate the ones I havent gotten rid of?
Signature: Sirena
Florida Predatory Stink Bug Nymphs
Ed. Note: With most of the identification requests we receive, we are only able to supply a brief response to the querent without posting the letter. Such was the case with this submission, though in retrospect, we decided to create a post.
recently hatched beneficial predatory stink bugs
bugs are amazing.. never knew they hatched underground. Hopefully they will just go away and not eat what grass I have left after our Texas drought…
Thanks
Hi again Sirena,
The Florida Predatory Stink Bug feeds on other insects and it will not damage your lawn. Since they are nymphs, they don’t yet have wings, but winged adults are capable of flight. Because of their black and orange coloration, their markings which resemble a mask and their presence in the fall, adult Florida Predatory Stink Bugs are often called Halloween Bugs.
Is this a ladybug?
Location: San Antonio, TX
April 4, 2012 12:28 pm
This bug is everywhere on the ground of my backyard right now (early April). It also has the three stripes on the orange/red portion of its underside. Your help in the identification process is appreciated since my son and I spend a lot of time in the yard. I worry that this may be a bothersome bug. Thanks!
Signature: Katie
Florida Predatory Stink Bug Nymphs
Hi Katie,
Your letter is the second letter from San Antonio we have received this week inquiring about these newly hatched Florida Predatory Stink Bug nymphs, Euthyrhynchus floridanus. The orange and black adults are often visible late in the fall and they are called Halloween Bugs. They are predatory and they are considered beneficial in the natural control of insect populations. According to BugGuide they feed on: “other insects. Nymphs, and to some extent, adults, are gregarious, and may attack large prey in groups.” We have never received a report of a person being bitten by a Florida Predatory Stink Bug, but we acknowledge that the possibility exists if they are carelessly handled.
What’s That Bug? i/d help required
Location: Panti Forest, Johor, Malaysia
April 3, 2012 3:54 am
Hi
I came across this weirdly shaped bug. Would be grateful if someone can help with the i/d. So far my surfing has not surfaced anything even remotely alike.
thanks!
Signature: rgds lpb
Shield Bug: Mucanum patibulum
Dear rgds lpb,
My, this is an unusual looking True Bug. We did a web search of Heteroptera and Malaysia and quickly identified your Shield Bug as Mucanum patibulum on the Heteroptera, un site pour les punaises. There is an additional photo on the Canon Digital Photography Forum website devoted to Shield Bugs.
Good morning Daniel
Many, many thanks for the i/d and links. Most appreciated
btw just curious, which country are you emailing from?
regards
Ms Lim Poh Bee
You are welcome Ms Lim Poh Bee,
The offices of What’s That Bug? are located in Los Angeles, California.
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